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Finnish Air Force Hawker Hurricane warbird and U.S. Navy T-6 Texan warbird in flight over Finland
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Funding will help improve hospitals, clinics, and health networks in rural parts of Cameroon, Liberia, and Nigeria, working as part of a group of faith-based organizations, a CRS spokesperson said.
A special Mass was held commemorating Sts. Luis Bátis Sáinz, Manuel Morales, Salvador Lara Puente, and David Roldán Lara, who were martyred during the persecution of the Church in the Cristero period.
![Seminarians highlight faith and calling during first Media Day #Catholic – On a recent podcast, Brian Collins, 24, a seminarian of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., demystified life in the seminary while studying for the priesthood.
“We spend lots of time studying the faith and praying individually and together, but we also have friends inside and outside the seminary, play video games and watch movies like regular young men,” said Collins, ready to start first-year philosophy studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J.
On Aug. 14 afternoon, Collins and Michael Kane, another diocesan seminarian, appeared on a special remote episode of Beyond the Beacon, a podcast co-hosted by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. They talked about priestly vocations and the seminary with Jai Agnish, the podcast’s co-host and diocesan communications director, at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J. The episode was part of the diocese’s inaugural Seminarian Media Day event.
St. Paul’s was a beehive of activity for the Media Day. The event gave the 12 diocesan seminarians there the opportunity, with great wit and charm, to share their engaging stories about how God called them to the priesthood, their faith journeys so far, interests, and their lives in the seminary.
This content will be posted in the coming months on digital platforms where young people consume information, such as podcasts, social media, and print news, to help make them aware of the possibility of a priestly vocation. In September, the diocesan Vocations Office will launch an Instagram account dedicated to vocations, which will use much of this lively material.
“For Media Day, it was good to hear the voices from the faces of seminarians on vocations posters. Maybe our stories will encourage other men to enter the seminary,” Collins said. The podcast also included interviews with seminarians Eric Hasenbein and Sean Gallagher.
The Media Day was a collaboration by the diocesan Vocations Office, the Communications Office, and St. Paul Inside the Walls, the diocesan evangelization center. The event also highlighted the seminarians’ varied ages, backgrounds, and personalities.
“In today’s world, many young people exploring a vocation will first look online for information and inspiration,” said Father Charles Lana, diocesan vocations director. “We want to engage people where they are and provide them with resources that can help them hear and respond to God’s call. One of the best ways we can promote vocations is by featuring our seminarians, who are living witnesses to what it means to answer God’s call,” he said.
Before co-hosting the podcast, Bishop Sweeney joined the seminarians for Mass in St. Paul’s chapel. Among the congregants were Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor, and diocesan staff who work at the center.
“Let the lives of the saints inspire us —from bishops and religious sisters to those living the vocation of marriage, parents, grandparents, and those living the single life. We’re all sharing baptismal vocations that baptismal call to holiness,” Bishop Sweeney said in his Mass introduction.
The men featured in the digital content range from the start of seminary studies, called the propaedeutic year, to the diaconal year — the final step before being ordained a priest. In the afternoon, they each participated in one of three “content stations”: appearing on the podcast, making a short video, or sitting for an interview for a print news story.
“The seminarians’ participation is also helping them become agents of the New Evangelization. Future priests need to be able to communicate the truths of the faith not only from the pulpit, but also through the modern means of communication that people use every day,” Father Lana said. “Media Day is one small step toward helping our seminarians grow in confidence as public leaders, communicators, and messengers of the Gospel,” he said.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
With her cellphone, Cecile Pagliarulo, digital media specialist and a co-host of Beyond the Beacon, captured stories and insight from seminarians Jean- Baptiste Mollet, John Peter Zappe, David Marin, and Brian Reilly in English and Deacon Carlos Vargas in Spanish.
Pagliarulo asked the seminarians specific questions that will be used in several videos on vocations- or priest-themed observances, such as Priesthood Sunday, National Vocations Awareness Week, and World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
“I enjoyed meeting each of the seminarians — young men committed to learning and studying about the priesthood in hopes that they will become priests for future generations of Catholics. A common theme in asking them about vocations was that we are all called to holiness,” Pagliarulo said.
Meanwhile, Michael Wojcik, managing editor of BeaconNJ.org, camped out in a classroom at the center to interview seminarians James Burke and Mark Tosso about their vocation stories in English. In another classroom, Yoel Gonzalez, a Spanish-language writer for BeaconNJ.org, interviewed seminarian Jairo Jaramillo in Spanish.
Mary Drasheff, communications coordinator at St. Paul Inside the Walls, and Joseph Ginexi, digital media specialist at St. Paul Inside the Walls, also participated in Media Day, conducting video interviews with seminarians and assisting with setting up the podcast space.
“The Media Day was upbeat. It gave us seminarians a sense of brotherhood, encouraging one another, before we go back to school. There was great care and guidance, especially from more experienced seminarians, priests and Bishop Sweeney,” Tosso said.
Then, each seminarian posed for portraits outside on St. Paul’s front porch, taken by Joe Gigli, a freelance photographer for the diocese. Then the men continued the fellowship they started at lunch.
Catalina Zempoalteca, Vocations Office coordinator, organized the Media Day with Father Lana and the other collaborating offices in the diocese. She called the first-ever Media Day “a success.”
“All our 12 seminarians have unique and beautiful vocation stories that should be shared for other men to know that God is capable of moving in their lives towards the vocation that he is calling them to live out. In our case, we hope these stories inspire more men to discern the priesthood,” Zempoalteca said. “The journey of discerning one’s vocation is a love story unraveled by God. I’m blessed to witness this working in the Vocations Office and in helping it be shared through the content created on Media Day,” she said.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI & JESSICA MARTINEZ
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/seminarians-highlight-faith-and-calling-during-first-media-day-catholic-on-a-recent-podcast-brian-collins-24-a-seminarian-of-the-paterson-diocese-n-j-demystified-life-in-the-seminary-while-st.jpg "Seminarians highlight faith and calling during first Media Day #Catholic – On a recent podcast, Brian Collins, 24, a seminarian of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., demystified life in the seminary while studying for the priesthood.
“We spend lots of time studying the faith and praying individually and together, but we also have friends inside and outside the seminary, play video games and watch movies like regular young men,” said Collins, ready to start first-year philosophy studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J.
On Aug. 14 afternoon, Collins and Michael Kane, another diocesan seminarian, appeared on a special remote episode of Beyond the Beacon, a podcast co-hosted by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. They talked about priestly vocations and the seminary with Jai Agnish, the podcast’s co-host and diocesan communications director, at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J. The episode was part of the diocese’s inaugural Seminarian Media Day event.
St. Paul’s was a beehive of activity for the Media Day. The event gave the 12 diocesan seminarians there the opportunity, with great wit and charm, to share their engaging stories about how God called them to the priesthood, their faith journeys so far, interests, and their lives in the seminary.
This content will be posted in the coming months on digital platforms where young people consume information, such as podcasts, social media, and print news, to help make them aware of the possibility of a priestly vocation. In September, the diocesan Vocations Office will launch an Instagram account dedicated to vocations, which will use much of this lively material.
“For Media Day, it was good to hear the voices from the faces of seminarians on vocations posters. Maybe our stories will encourage other men to enter the seminary,” Collins said. The podcast also included interviews with seminarians Eric Hasenbein and Sean Gallagher.
The Media Day was a collaboration by the diocesan Vocations Office, the Communications Office, and St. Paul Inside the Walls, the diocesan evangelization center. The event also highlighted the seminarians’ varied ages, backgrounds, and personalities.
“In today’s world, many young people exploring a vocation will first look online for information and inspiration,” said Father Charles Lana, diocesan vocations director. “We want to engage people where they are and provide them with resources that can help them hear and respond to God’s call. One of the best ways we can promote vocations is by featuring our seminarians, who are living witnesses to what it means to answer God’s call,” he said.
Before co-hosting the podcast, Bishop Sweeney joined the seminarians for Mass in St. Paul’s chapel. Among the congregants were Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor, and diocesan staff who work at the center.
“Let the lives of the saints inspire us —from bishops and religious sisters to those living the vocation of marriage, parents, grandparents, and those living the single life. We’re all sharing baptismal vocations that baptismal call to holiness,” Bishop Sweeney said in his Mass introduction.
The men featured in the digital content range from the start of seminary studies, called the propaedeutic year, to the diaconal year — the final step before being ordained a priest. In the afternoon, they each participated in one of three “content stations”: appearing on the podcast, making a short video, or sitting for an interview for a print news story.
“The seminarians’ participation is also helping them become agents of the New Evangelization. Future priests need to be able to communicate the truths of the faith not only from the pulpit, but also through the modern means of communication that people use every day,” Father Lana said. “Media Day is one small step toward helping our seminarians grow in confidence as public leaders, communicators, and messengers of the Gospel,” he said.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
With her cellphone, Cecile Pagliarulo, digital media specialist and a co-host of Beyond the Beacon, captured stories and insight from seminarians Jean- Baptiste Mollet, John Peter Zappe, David Marin, and Brian Reilly in English and Deacon Carlos Vargas in Spanish.
Pagliarulo asked the seminarians specific questions that will be used in several videos on vocations- or priest-themed observances, such as Priesthood Sunday, National Vocations Awareness Week, and World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
“I enjoyed meeting each of the seminarians — young men committed to learning and studying about the priesthood in hopes that they will become priests for future generations of Catholics. A common theme in asking them about vocations was that we are all called to holiness,” Pagliarulo said.
Meanwhile, Michael Wojcik, managing editor of BeaconNJ.org, camped out in a classroom at the center to interview seminarians James Burke and Mark Tosso about their vocation stories in English. In another classroom, Yoel Gonzalez, a Spanish-language writer for BeaconNJ.org, interviewed seminarian Jairo Jaramillo in Spanish.
Mary Drasheff, communications coordinator at St. Paul Inside the Walls, and Joseph Ginexi, digital media specialist at St. Paul Inside the Walls, also participated in Media Day, conducting video interviews with seminarians and assisting with setting up the podcast space.
“The Media Day was upbeat. It gave us seminarians a sense of brotherhood, encouraging one another, before we go back to school. There was great care and guidance, especially from more experienced seminarians, priests and Bishop Sweeney,” Tosso said.
Then, each seminarian posed for portraits outside on St. Paul’s front porch, taken by Joe Gigli, a freelance photographer for the diocese. Then the men continued the fellowship they started at lunch.
Catalina Zempoalteca, Vocations Office coordinator, organized the Media Day with Father Lana and the other collaborating offices in the diocese. She called the first-ever Media Day “a success.”
“All our 12 seminarians have unique and beautiful vocation stories that should be shared for other men to know that God is capable of moving in their lives towards the vocation that he is calling them to live out. In our case, we hope these stories inspire more men to discern the priesthood,” Zempoalteca said. “The journey of discerning one’s vocation is a love story unraveled by God. I’m blessed to witness this working in the Vocations Office and in helping it be shared through the content created on Media Day,” she said.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI & JESSICA MARTINEZ
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]")
Seminarians highlight faith and calling during first Media Day #Catholic – 
On a recent podcast, Brian Collins, 24, a seminarian of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., demystified life in the seminary while studying for the priesthood.
“We spend lots of time studying the faith and praying individually and together, but we also have friends inside and outside the seminary, play video games and watch movies like regular young men,” said Collins, ready to start first-year philosophy studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J.
On Aug. 14 afternoon, Collins and Michael Kane, another diocesan seminarian, appeared on a special remote episode of Beyond the Beacon, a podcast co-hosted by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. They talked about priestly vocations and the seminary with Jai Agnish, the podcast’s co-host and diocesan communications director, at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J. The episode was part of the diocese’s inaugural Seminarian Media Day event.
St. Paul’s was a beehive of activity for the Media Day. The event gave the 12 diocesan seminarians there the opportunity, with great wit and charm, to share their engaging stories about how God called them to the priesthood, their faith journeys so far, interests, and their lives in the seminary.
This content will be posted in the coming months on digital platforms where young people consume information, such as podcasts, social media, and print news, to help make them aware of the possibility of a priestly vocation. In September, the diocesan Vocations Office will launch an Instagram account dedicated to vocations, which will use much of this lively material.
“For Media Day, it was good to hear the voices from the faces of seminarians on vocations posters. Maybe our stories will encourage other men to enter the seminary,” Collins said. The podcast also included interviews with seminarians Eric Hasenbein and Sean Gallagher.
The Media Day was a collaboration by the diocesan Vocations Office, the Communications Office, and St. Paul Inside the Walls, the diocesan evangelization center. The event also highlighted the seminarians’ varied ages, backgrounds, and personalities.
“In today’s world, many young people exploring a vocation will first look online for information and inspiration,” said Father Charles Lana, diocesan vocations director. “We want to engage people where they are and provide them with resources that can help them hear and respond to God’s call. One of the best ways we can promote vocations is by featuring our seminarians, who are living witnesses to what it means to answer God’s call,” he said.
Before co-hosting the podcast, Bishop Sweeney joined the seminarians for Mass in St. Paul’s chapel. Among the congregants were Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor, and diocesan staff who work at the center.
“Let the lives of the saints inspire us —from bishops and religious sisters to those living the vocation of marriage, parents, grandparents, and those living the single life. We’re all sharing baptismal vocations that baptismal call to holiness,” Bishop Sweeney said in his Mass introduction.
The men featured in the digital content range from the start of seminary studies, called the propaedeutic year, to the diaconal year — the final step before being ordained a priest. In the afternoon, they each participated in one of three “content stations”: appearing on the podcast, making a short video, or sitting for an interview for a print news story.
“The seminarians’ participation is also helping them become agents of the New Evangelization. Future priests need to be able to communicate the truths of the faith not only from the pulpit, but also through the modern means of communication that people use every day,” Father Lana said. “Media Day is one small step toward helping our seminarians grow in confidence as public leaders, communicators, and messengers of the Gospel,” he said.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
With her cellphone, Cecile Pagliarulo, digital media specialist and a co-host of Beyond the Beacon, captured stories and insight from seminarians Jean- Baptiste Mollet, John Peter Zappe, David Marin, and Brian Reilly in English and Deacon Carlos Vargas in Spanish.
Pagliarulo asked the seminarians specific questions that will be used in several videos on vocations- or priest-themed observances, such as Priesthood Sunday, National Vocations Awareness Week, and World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
“I enjoyed meeting each of the seminarians — young men committed to learning and studying about the priesthood in hopes that they will become priests for future generations of Catholics. A common theme in asking them about vocations was that we are all called to holiness,” Pagliarulo said.
Meanwhile, Michael Wojcik, managing editor of BeaconNJ.org, camped out in a classroom at the center to interview seminarians James Burke and Mark Tosso about their vocation stories in English. In another classroom, Yoel Gonzalez, a Spanish-language writer for BeaconNJ.org, interviewed seminarian Jairo Jaramillo in Spanish.
Mary Drasheff, communications coordinator at St. Paul Inside the Walls, and Joseph Ginexi, digital media specialist at St. Paul Inside the Walls, also participated in Media Day, conducting video interviews with seminarians and assisting with setting up the podcast space.
“The Media Day was upbeat. It gave us seminarians a sense of brotherhood, encouraging one another, before we go back to school. There was great care and guidance, especially from more experienced seminarians, priests and Bishop Sweeney,” Tosso said.
Then, each seminarian posed for portraits outside on St. Paul’s front porch, taken by Joe Gigli, a freelance photographer for the diocese. Then the men continued the fellowship they started at lunch.
Catalina Zempoalteca, Vocations Office coordinator, organized the Media Day with Father Lana and the other collaborating offices in the diocese. She called the first-ever Media Day “a success.”
“All our 12 seminarians have unique and beautiful vocation stories that should be shared for other men to know that God is capable of moving in their lives towards the vocation that he is calling them to live out. In our case, we hope these stories inspire more men to discern the priesthood,” Zempoalteca said. “The journey of discerning one’s vocation is a love story unraveled by God. I’m blessed to witness this working in the Vocations Office and in helping it be shared through the content created on Media Day,” she said.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI & JESSICA MARTINEZ
– On a recent podcast, Brian Collins, 24, a seminarian of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., demystified life in the seminary while studying for the priesthood. “We spend lots of time studying the faith and praying individually and together, but we also have friends inside and outside the seminary, play video games and watch movies like regular young men,” said Collins, ready to start first-year philosophy studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J. On Aug. 14 afternoon, Collins and Michael Kane, another diocesan seminarian, appeared on a special remote episode of Beyond the Beacon, a podcast co-hosted by Bishop Kevin
![Bishop urges Passaic parishioners to ‘persevere in prayer’ #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., during his pastoral visit on Aug. 16.
Concelebrating with Bishop Sweeney were Father Rolands Uribe, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas, and Father Gilberto Gutierrez, a retired priest of the Diocese of N.J. Deacon Luis Gil assisted with the liturgy.
During his homily, Bishop Sweeney reflected on the Gospel and the woman who approached Jesus, asking him to help her daughter. Despite initially feeling unheard, she persevered in faith and prayer.
Jessica Martinez
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., during his pastoral visit on Aug. 16.
Concelebrating with Bishop Sweeney were Father Rolands Uribe, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas, and Father Gilberto Gutierrez, a retired priest of the Diocese of N.J. Deacon Luis Gil assisted with the liturgy.
During his homily, Bishop Sweeney reflected on the Gospel and the woman who approached Jesus, asking him to help her daughter. Despite initially feeling unheard, she persevered in faith and prayer.
Bishop Sweeney reminded the congregation that Catholics, too, can see themselves in the women from the Gospel when they turn to Jesus in moments when they feel unheard or are seeking his help. Her persistence serves as an example of the faith and the perseverance believers are called to have in our own lives.
“Jesus is inviting us today to give him a chance, and we have to persevere in prayer. We have to have the faith of that wonderful mom that didn’t stop asking.” Bishop Sweeney said.
Bishop Sweeney also invited the parish community to pray for those suffering in Colombia after a recent earthquake and for immigrants in Passaic facing difficult circumstances.
The message was echoed in the opening hymn, “Juntos como hermanos, miembros de una Iglesia vamos caminando al encuentro del Señor,” reminding the faithful that we journey
together as brothers and sisters as one Church toward the Lord.
Bishop Sweeney reminded the congregation that Catholics, too, can see themselves in the women from the Gospel when they turn to Jesus in moments when they feel unheard or are seeking his help. Her persistence serves as an example of the faith and the perseverance believers are called to have in our own lives.
“Jesus is inviting us today to give him a chance, and we have to persevere in prayer. We have to have the faith of that wonderful mom that didn’t stop asking.” Bishop Sweeney said.
Bishop Sweeney also invited the parish community to pray for those suffering in Colombia after a recent earthquake and for immigrants in Passaic facing difficult circumstances.
The message was echoed in the opening hymn, “Juntos como hermanos, miembros de una Iglesia vamos caminando al encuentro del Señor,” reminding the faithful that we journey
together as brothers and sisters as one Church toward the Lord.
PHOTOS | JESSICA MARTINEZ
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/bishop-urges-passaic-parishioners-to-persevere-in-prayer-catholic-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-celebrated-sunday-mass-at-our-lady-of-fatima-and-st-nicholas-parish-in-passaic-n-j-du.jpg "Bishop urges Passaic parishioners to ‘persevere in prayer’ #Catholic – Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., during his pastoral visit on Aug. 16.
Concelebrating with Bishop Sweeney were Father Rolands Uribe, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas, and Father Gilberto Gutierrez, a retired priest of the Diocese of N.J. Deacon Luis Gil assisted with the liturgy.
During his homily, Bishop Sweeney reflected on the Gospel and the woman who approached Jesus, asking him to help her daughter. Despite initially feeling unheard, she persevered in faith and prayer.
Jessica Martinez
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., during his pastoral visit on Aug. 16.
Concelebrating with Bishop Sweeney were Father Rolands Uribe, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas, and Father Gilberto Gutierrez, a retired priest of the Diocese of N.J. Deacon Luis Gil assisted with the liturgy.
During his homily, Bishop Sweeney reflected on the Gospel and the woman who approached Jesus, asking him to help her daughter. Despite initially feeling unheard, she persevered in faith and prayer.
Bishop Sweeney reminded the congregation that Catholics, too, can see themselves in the women from the Gospel when they turn to Jesus in moments when they feel unheard or are seeking his help. Her persistence serves as an example of the faith and the perseverance believers are called to have in our own lives.
“Jesus is inviting us today to give him a chance, and we have to persevere in prayer. We have to have the faith of that wonderful mom that didn’t stop asking.” Bishop Sweeney said.
Bishop Sweeney also invited the parish community to pray for those suffering in Colombia after a recent earthquake and for immigrants in Passaic facing difficult circumstances.
The message was echoed in the opening hymn, “Juntos como hermanos, miembros de una Iglesia vamos caminando al encuentro del Señor,” reminding the faithful that we journey
together as brothers and sisters as one Church toward the Lord.
Bishop Sweeney reminded the congregation that Catholics, too, can see themselves in the women from the Gospel when they turn to Jesus in moments when they feel unheard or are seeking his help. Her persistence serves as an example of the faith and the perseverance believers are called to have in our own lives.
“Jesus is inviting us today to give him a chance, and we have to persevere in prayer. We have to have the faith of that wonderful mom that didn’t stop asking.” Bishop Sweeney said.
Bishop Sweeney also invited the parish community to pray for those suffering in Colombia after a recent earthquake and for immigrants in Passaic facing difficult circumstances.
The message was echoed in the opening hymn, “Juntos como hermanos, miembros de una Iglesia vamos caminando al encuentro del Señor,” reminding the faithful that we journey
together as brothers and sisters as one Church toward the Lord.
PHOTOS | JESSICA MARTINEZ
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]")
Bishop urges Passaic parishioners to ‘persevere in prayer’ #Catholic – 
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., during his pastoral visit on Aug. 16.
Concelebrating with Bishop Sweeney were Father Rolands Uribe, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas, and Father Gilberto Gutierrez, a retired priest of the Diocese of N.J. Deacon Luis Gil assisted with the liturgy.
During his homily, Bishop Sweeney reflected on the Gospel and the woman who approached Jesus, asking him to help her daughter. Despite initially feeling unheard, she persevered in faith and prayer.
Jessica Martinez
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., during his pastoral visit on Aug. 16.
Concelebrating with Bishop Sweeney were Father Rolands Uribe, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas, and Father Gilberto Gutierrez, a retired priest of the Diocese of N.J. Deacon Luis Gil assisted with the liturgy.
During his homily, Bishop Sweeney reflected on the Gospel and the woman who approached Jesus, asking him to help her daughter. Despite initially feeling unheard, she persevered in faith and prayer.
Bishop Sweeney reminded the congregation that Catholics, too, can see themselves in the women from the Gospel when they turn to Jesus in moments when they feel unheard or are seeking his help. Her persistence serves as an example of the faith and the perseverance believers are called to have in our own lives.
“Jesus is inviting us today to give him a chance, and we have to persevere in prayer. We have to have the faith of that wonderful mom that didn’t stop asking.” Bishop Sweeney said.
Bishop Sweeney also invited the parish community to pray for those suffering in Colombia after a recent earthquake and for immigrants in Passaic facing difficult circumstances.
The message was echoed in the opening hymn, “Juntos como hermanos, miembros de una Iglesia vamos caminando al encuentro del Señor,” reminding the faithful that we journey
together as brothers and sisters as one Church toward the Lord.
Bishop Sweeney reminded the congregation that Catholics, too, can see themselves in the women from the Gospel when they turn to Jesus in moments when they feel unheard or are seeking his help. Her persistence serves as an example of the faith and the perseverance believers are called to have in our own lives.
“Jesus is inviting us today to give him a chance, and we have to persevere in prayer. We have to have the faith of that wonderful mom that didn’t stop asking.” Bishop Sweeney said.
Bishop Sweeney also invited the parish community to pray for those suffering in Colombia after a recent earthquake and for immigrants in Passaic facing difficult circumstances.
The message was echoed in the opening hymn, “Juntos como hermanos, miembros de una Iglesia vamos caminando al encuentro del Señor,” reminding the faithful that we journey
together as brothers and sisters as one Church toward the Lord.
PHOTOS | JESSICA MARTINEZ
– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic, N.J., during his pastoral visit on Aug. 16. Concelebrating with Bishop Sweeney were Father Rolands Uribe, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Nicholas, and Father Gilberto Gutierrez, a retired priest of the Diocese of N.J. Deacon Luis Gil assisted with the liturgy. During his homily, Bishop Sweeney reflected on the Gospel and the woman who approached Jesus, asking him to help her daughter. Despite initially feeling unheard, she persevered in faith and prayer. Jessica Martinez Click here to subscribe to
The country’s bishops warned that the proposed regulations could make freedom of expression contingent upon the government’s criteria of “truth.”
The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales urged world leaders to enforce religious freedom standards in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
![U.S. bishops urge Supreme Court to require 12-person juries for criminal cases #Catholic The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to require 12-person juries in criminal cases, with the bishops arguing against a Florida policy allowing smaller six-person juries in many cases. The case Kian v. Florida, which the Supreme Court agreed to hear in June, was brought after Florida chiropractor Hamed Kian was convicted of five felony counts for practicing without a license. Kian was found guilty by a six-person jury; the state of Florida only requires 12-person juries in capital cases. Several other states have similar rules. Kian sued the state arguing that the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees a right to a 12-person jury. He lost his appeal at the Fourth District Court of Appeal of Florida and subsequently appealed directly to the Supreme Court, which will hold arguments in the case in its upcoming term. In their amicus filing, the U.S. bishops argued that the term “jury” in the U.S. has historically referenced a body of 12 jurors; the bishops pointed to “Founding-era dictionaries” as well as “common-law history.” The bishops said they have a “strong interest” in the case, insofar as the Catholic Church over the centuries has played a “central role in shaping the legal culture from which the common-law jury emerged.”Among the historical examples of 12-person juries the bishops cited include the General Fundamentals of Plymouth, “the earliest codified legal system by English colonists in North America,” which guaranteed that “all trials” would be “tried by a jury of twelve good and lawful men.” The prelates disputed the Supreme Court’s 1970 ruling in the case Williams v. Florida, which held that the Sixth Amendment does not require 12 jurors in court cases. That ruling in part “discard[ed] the robust common-law history of the jury right,” while the high court in that decision “set far too high a bar for historical relevance,” they said.The bishops further cited the biblical commandment to “love your neighbor justly.” They pointed to the Catholic catechism’s mandate for public authorities to “dispense justice humanely by respecting the rights of everyone.” They urged the Supreme Court to “return to its previously long-held understanding that the Constitution entitles criminal defendants to a jury of twelve of their peers.”Numerous advocacy groups have also filed amicus briefs advocating the 12-juror standard, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Innocence Project, several dozen current and former prosecutors, and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/u-s-bishops-urge-supreme-court-to-require-12-person-juries-for-criminal-cases-catholic-the-u-s-conference-of-catholic-bishops-is-urging-the-u-s-supreme-court-to-require-12-person-juries-in-crimina-scaled.jpg "U.S. bishops urge Supreme Court to require 12-person juries for criminal cases #Catholic The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to require 12-person juries in criminal cases, with the bishops arguing against a Florida policy allowing smaller six-person juries in many cases. The case Kian v. Florida, which the Supreme Court agreed to hear in June, was brought after Florida chiropractor Hamed Kian was convicted of five felony counts for practicing without a license. Kian was found guilty by a six-person jury; the state of Florida only requires 12-person juries in capital cases. Several other states have similar rules. Kian sued the state arguing that the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees a right to a 12-person jury. He lost his appeal at the Fourth District Court of Appeal of Florida and subsequently appealed directly to the Supreme Court, which will hold arguments in the case in its upcoming term. In their amicus filing, the U.S. bishops argued that the term “jury” in the U.S. has historically referenced a body of 12 jurors; the bishops pointed to “Founding-era dictionaries” as well as “common-law history.” The bishops said they have a “strong interest” in the case, insofar as the Catholic Church over the centuries has played a “central role in shaping the legal culture from which the common-law jury emerged.”Among the historical examples of 12-person juries the bishops cited include the General Fundamentals of Plymouth, “the earliest codified legal system by English colonists in North America,” which guaranteed that “all trials” would be “tried by a jury of twelve good and lawful men.” The prelates disputed the Supreme Court’s 1970 ruling in the case Williams v. Florida, which held that the Sixth Amendment does not require 12 jurors in court cases. That ruling in part “discard[ed] the robust common-law history of the jury right,” while the high court in that decision “set far too high a bar for historical relevance,” they said.The bishops further cited the biblical commandment to “love your neighbor justly.” They pointed to the Catholic catechism’s mandate for public authorities to “dispense justice humanely by respecting the rights of everyone.” They urged the Supreme Court to “return to its previously long-held understanding that the Constitution entitles criminal defendants to a jury of twelve of their peers.”Numerous advocacy groups have also filed amicus briefs advocating the 12-juror standard, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Innocence Project, several dozen current and former prosecutors, and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.")
The bishops argue that the term “jury” in the U.S. has historically referenced a body of 12 jurors.
Alessandro Carrozzi, taken near Palencia, Spain The Sun’s corona glows in all its glory in this high-dynamic range image taken during totality on Aug. 12. Bright prominences are visible at the Sun’s limb, as well as faint outer structures formed by the solar wind streaming out along magnetic field lines. Earthshine is also apparent, dimlyContinue reading “The corona from Spain”
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